Reagent for liquid-battery cells



D. L. HUME'HREY AND C. L. PITTMAN.

REAGENT FOR LIQUID BATTERY CELLS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, I917- Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

D. L. HUMPHREY AND C. L. PITTMAN.

REAGENT FOR uoum BATTERY ems. APPLICA'HON FILED APR=24| 1917. 1,375,518, Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

1 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- DAVID L. HUMPHREY AND CARL L. PITTMAN, OF AVOGA, TEXAS.

REAGENT FOR LIQUID-BATTERY CELLS.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID L. HUMPHREY and CARL L. PITTMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Avoca, in the county of Jones and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reagents for Liquid-Battery Cells; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art .to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the present invention is the production of a cheap and efficient substicute for copper sulfate for use in battery cells and to enable the same to be cheaply and rapidly manufactured and afford the desired electrical energy when applied to a battery and possess the same advantages as copper sulfate or blue stone in enabling a battery to be left for a comparatively long time without attention.

The invention consists essentially in subjecting crude crushed or comminuted copper ore to the action of hot dilute sulfuric acid and maintaining the solution with the copper ore therein at a temperature approximately that of the boiling pointof water until the copper ore is disintegrated and its metal is substantially dissolved and then removing the solution from the presence of heat to produce crystallization of the material.

The process may be conveniently carried out by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the apparatus. I

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view ofthe apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the condenser hoods.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the earthenware receptacles.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the se eral figuJes oi" the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one form of apparatus for carrying out the process, 1 designates a furnace preferably composed of two sections or units 2 and 3. and provided at opposite sides with supporting trays or shelves 4 and 5 which are adapted to receive receptacles 6 as the same enter and leave the apparatus.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d A 9 1921 Application filed April 24,

1917f Serial Nb. 164,222.

The receptacle 6, which is designed to be constructed of earthen-ware or other suitable material, is unaffected by sulfuric acid and the solution resulting from the mixing of the crude copper ore with the. same. The furnace units or sections are equipped with a grate 7 for the burning of wood, coal or similar fuel, and are also provided with a burner 8 adapted for burning oil or other hydrocarbon in either gaseous or liquid form. The receptacle 6 is placed on the tray or shelf 4 and the water and sulfuric acid are placed therein and the receptacle is then moved to the unit or section 2 of the furnace. The sulfuric acid and water are heated to a temperature of approximately .the boiling point of Water and the receptacle is then placed on the second section or unit of the furnace and the crude copper ore is lntroduced into the receptacle and the mixture maintained at the boiling point until the crude copper ore is disintegrated or dissolved and the said receptacle is then quickly removed from the second unit of the furnace and permitted to cool to cause a crystallization of the solution. The shell 5 facilitates 'the removal of the receptacle from the second unit of the furnace and the apparatus is adapted to work continuously, the receptacle v being successively advanced from the receiving tray or shelf 4 to the tray or shelf 5 from which the receptacle is removed. The trays or shelves 4 and 5, for the introduction of the receptacle into the apparatus and the removal of the same therefrom, are sup-v ported by braces 9, and the furnace is provided with a smoke stack or flue 10.

The fumes from the boiling of the solutions are received within tapered rectangular hoods 11 of condensers 12 having suitable receptacles 13 for the liquid resulting from the condensation of the fumes and vapor given off by the solution in the boildisintegrated or dissolved in the solution.

The Solution is thenquickly removed from the second section or unit of the furnace and set away for crystallization of the contents,

the tray or support facilitating the re- 5 moval of the pan or receptacle from the second unit of the furnace and enablin the receptacle from the first section-onumt of the furnace to be quickly transferred to the second unit or section. This enables the rapid operation of the apparatus and aquick production of the material or product of the apparatus to be effected.

The process and apparatus are adapted for the treatment of gangues and copper ores in their crude state and the material or product resulting from the crystallization of the solution is particularly adapted to be employed as a substitute for blue stone or copper sulfate in gravity cells and it has been found to work as effectively ingenerating a current of the desired strength for the operation of instruments usually operated by such batteries, and it has been found by actual test that the batteries equipped with the material of the present process may be left for a long period of time without attention. -The process will enable an efiicient battery material to be quickly andcheaply produced; The product forms a mixture of blue crystals with darkbrown or dark greenish. uncrystallized calcareous and partly earthy nodules or slowly but not comp etely in water, so that the copper sulfate is given ofi'in proportion to its consumption, thereby preventin .too rapid exhaustion of the battery and oing away with the necessity of using pure copper sulfate. The impurities seem to have some kind of a depolarizing action which makes the battery particularly useful if used on a closed circuit. I I

What is claimed is:

As a new article of manufacture, blue stone for electric battery cells which consists of copper sulfate containing iron and mixed with uncrystalliz ed earthy, calcareous residues and granules of brownish and eenish color, suc product being largely, gl it not entirely soluble in water. i

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID L. HUMPHREY.

CARL L. PITTMAN. Witnesses:

W. T. Pnmmr s, I F. ArA-DAIR.

granules. It dissolves- 

